On 16 September 1942, General Falkenhausen addressed a letter to him, from which I extract the following passage—it is Document Number 1594-PS, which I submit as Exhibit Number RF-283:
“Enclosed is a list of the shootings of hostages which have taken place until now in my area and the incidents on account of which these shootings took place.
“In a great number of cases, particularly in the most serious, the perpetrators were later apprehended and sentenced.
“This result is undoubtedly very unsatisfactory. The effect is not so much deterrent as destructive of the feeling of the population for right and security; the cleft between the people influenced by communism and the remainder of the population is being bridged; all circles are becoming filled with a feeling of hatred toward the occupying forces and effective inciting material is given to enemy propaganda. Thereby military danger and general political reaction of an entirely unwanted nature. . . .”—Signed—“Von Falkenhausen.”
I shall now present Document Number 1587-PS from the same German general and he seems to be lucid:
“In addition I wish once more to point out the following:
“In several cases the authors of aggression or acts of sabotage were discovered when the hostages had already been shot, shortly after the criminal acts had been committed, according to the instructions received. Moreover, the real culprits often did not belong to the same circles as the executed hostages. Undoubtedly in such cases the execution of hostages does not inspire terror in the population but indifference to repressive measures and even resentment on the part of some sections of the population who until then had displayed a passive attitude. The result for the occupying power is therefore negative as planned and intended by the English agents, who were often the instigators of these acts. It will therefore be necessary to prolong the delay in cases where the arrest of the culprits may yet be expected. I therefore request that you leave to me the responsibility for fixing such delays, in order that the greatest possible success in the fight against terrorist acts may be obtained.”